Iron isn't so strong
by keepcalmandwrite
Summary: Pepper dies and leaves Tony the infamous Iron Man alone, but maybe this shows Iron isn't so indestructible. One-shot if you read it you'll realise why, kind of a Tony/Pepper short version of my other fic P.S You're Not Alone which is Clintahsa. DISCLAIMER:I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS!


**A/N So this is a one-shot from request by RockAngel2642 so I hope you like it. Let me know if there's anything you want me to write, I'm looking for small projects, I promise I'll reply. Please review and let me know what you think. **

Have you ever felt the feeling of complete and utter loss? That you didn't realise it until you lost it, but there was actually one person who made you wake up in the morning by simply holding your hand. Well Tony Stark has, because he lost his one and only love, Pepper Potts. As cliché as that sounds it's true, Tony didn't have a family that cared about him growing up; sure he'd slept with loads of women, and had earned a fortune through his own skill. But none of that made him get up in the morning; no Pepper did that, except she wasn't here anymore.

The worst part about it all was that the thing that killed her, he could have stopped it, if only he had of known, but he didn't know, therefore couldn't stop it. As Tony sat with his back propped up against his bed on the floor of his and Pepper's bedroom, his thoughts spun back to earlier that day when he had found out, it haunted him, like a ghost constantly in his vision, constantly there, constantly hammering away in his heart.

_*Flashback* _

_Tony was sat in the Avengers communal living room, he was watching James Bond with Natasha, he was laughing as she told him she had done all the things in the film, funny thing is, he didn't doubt her. They knew Steve was in the gym, Bruce in the kitchen, Clint in the archery range and Thor was on Asgard, so they were enjoying the peace, but, for some strange reason Tony had felt quiet all day an underlying layer of tension slowly squeezing its way around his throat. _

_It wasn't until the film was about half way through did Tony and Natasha hear the ding of the elevator, they both looked at each other and silently argued who should get it, they both cracked up laughing as Tony slid off the chair and went towards the elevator. It opened and suddenly that underlying tension tightened its grip around his throat as he stared at the police man and formally dressed Shield agent. _

"_Mr Stark" the Shield agent began, taking a careful step forward "may we have a word?" Tony nodded, a small part of his brain wondering why they bothered asking, it wasn't like he would say no. _

"_Tasha can you come over here" Tony shouted vaguely in the direction of the sofas. _

"_Actually Mr Stark this only concerns you" the Shield agent continued, his voice soft, Tony just shook his head. The two men shared a look and nodded at each other, Natasha came and stood next to Tony, she knew what was coming next, she knew this was protocol. She gripped his hand and put her arm around his waist, a sign of support, meant to comfort him, but honestly it just condemned his lingering hope to die. _

"_I am very sorry to inform you that Miss Virginia Potts was in a very serious car accident" the policeman continued "she is in critical condition in hospital, I'm afraid she is not likely to make it through the night" Natasha tightened her arm around his waist as Tony flinched as though the words were stabbing him, maybe they were, but only in his heart. _

"_I need to see her, what hospital?" he asked, very aware of the fact that his voice was shaking, he had never experienced this before…that his brain had completely switched off, it felt as if his mouth was speaking of its own accord, he let it. _

"_Mount Sinai Hospital, sir, we can give you a ride if you like, police escort" the words didn't register for Tony who just silently grabbed Natasha's hand and entered the elevator. Natasha grabbed his jacket just before she was pulled in and despite the shock, had the presence of mind to answer the police man. _

"_Yes thank you, we'd appreciate that" the elevator doors shut, and to Tony he knew the doors had just shut on his old life, happiness and most importantly Pepper. _

_Pepper looked bad, really bad. Her beautifully sculpted body seemed out of proportion, under the florescent lights her skin became washed out, almost translucent looking. Her soft red hair was hanging lank and dim. That wasn't the worst though it was the scars that covered her face, legs, and arms, they were red raw at the moment, the doctor explained that the glass had cut deep into her skin and they did the best they could to save her face. She was hooked up to so many different machines, the doctor stood with Tony pointing out what they were, he tried his best to listen, but his beautiful angel was lying so close to him, but she seemed so far it was too hard to concentrate. However he was snapped back to reality when the doctor said, _

"_And that is so she can breathe" Tony's head shot up as he tore his eyes away from Pepper's sickly face to the doctors round plump one. _

"_She can't breathe?" he asked now completely in shock. Tony had earlier requested that Natasha wait outside in the corridor, he knew Pepper wouldn't like lots of people staring at her and his Pepper was still there, hanging on for him, so he was damn well going to make sure she got everything she wanted…if she woke up. _

"_Yes Mr Stark, both her lungs were punctured by her ribs, she can't breathe without the support of the machine. Miss Potts right leg was broken in several places upon impact and she has serious swelling in the brain from where she went through the wind screen, the outlook is not good Mr Stark, we would encourage you to say your goodbye" he nodded at the doctor, inside he was reeling from the impact of those words 'say your goodbye,' sadly Tony knew he was right, he gathered the last once of courage and strength he had and opened the door to where his girlfriend lay. _

"_Hey baby, you don't look so good" he whispered as he pulled up a hard hospital chair next to Pepper's bed, he grasped her frail hand and flinched at the coldness of it. "It doesn't matter though, you're still so beautiful, and you always will be no matter what" He stroked a finger down the outline of her jaw. "I love you Virginia Potts, huh, you'd kick my ass if you were awake now wouldn't you? You hate your real name; but you're right, I do think Pepper suits you though, yeah. You're my Pepper and I'm your salt. Do you remember when you first said that to me? I had just came back from a massive battle and was in really bad pain, god, you got me through that baby, you really did. Your smile, the way you hold my hand that little bit longer than anybody else, the way your head fits-"his voice broke here as he let out a little cry "-just in the crook of my neck, please don't leave me Pepper" he was fully sobbing now, his shoulders were shaking, he impatiently wiped the tears from his eyes, so he could she Pepper more clearly. "You can't go; I can't do this without you!" _

_Tony was begging now, he knew she could hear him though, he just knew. He looked down at his sleeping beauty, he took in her bruises and cuts, the way she would be in so much pain when she woke up, and although he knew Pepper wasn't vain, he knew the scars on her face and body would hurt her every day, with those thoughts plaguing his mind, it's probably why he said this, _

"_You know what? It's ok Pepper, my beautiful, beautiful girl. It's ok if you want to go, you can, don't worry about me. But you need to know I love you, more than anything else in this world, more than anything I've ever known. In fact" he reached into his pocket and with shaking hands pulled out a small jewellery box "I didn't know how to ask you, but I suppose I should now. Pepper Potts will you marry me?" He chuckled in a dry painful way "Right, right, you can't answer well I'm going to assume you would've said yes" he gentle raised Pepper's hand and delicately pushed the ring onto her finger, it looked right. "Now baby" he continued, he was leaning next to her ear as he whispered, "Wherever you go, you'll have a piece of me with you, and let's face it, the whole me probably won't be far behind without you holding me up, but anyway. Pepper, I'm saying I love you, and goodbye." _

_This wasn't like in the movies though; Pepper didn't just fade away as soon as Tony said she could, no. She hung on for three more hours, before her heart stopped and she passed on. Tony didn't speak again for the three hours, no-body came in and he didn't move, him and Pepper alone, until her last breath, he was there to hold her hand and comfort her, by not even saying anything as she left this world , Tony protecting her the whole time. _

_*End of Flashback* _

It is strange though, that until they're gone you don't realise how much one person affects you, for Tony he realised that Pepper was actually the reason he cut back on drink, the reason he became a part of a team, the reason he learnt to love and trust someone again after his unhealthy relationship with his father. As he sat on the bedroom floor he listened as the other avengers all tried to get him to open the door. He couldn't remember getting back from the hospital, leaving his Pepper…but he did know Natasha had called the others to come and help her when he had come stumbling towards her. He remembered her holding him as silent tears poured down her face, he brushed them away softly and she did the same for him. They sat in the hallway holding each other, Natasha wasn't strong enough, or indeed, emotionally strong enough to get Tony back to the tower. She had called the other guys and let them know what had happened, all while Tony was with Pepper.

Bruce, Steve and Clint all came straight away, Steve and Bruce both took one of Tony's arms and pulled him to his feet, as Clint held Natasha. The three avengers had been shocked to find Natasha and Tony sitting on the floor, crying together, they took action immediately, they managed to get Tony into his bed, all the while mumbling comforting words to him, they didn't comfort him though.

It was the same night now and they were all trying to get him to come out of his room, none of them could though, only one person could and Tony had had to say goodbye to her as she lay unconscious, pale and cold in that large hospital bed, that just made her seem all the smaller. Tony thought about his life now and how lonely it would be, everything would be harder and it scared him to think this. He struggled enough even with Pepper but now he didn't have her, he didn't know whether he could cope. He rose on shaky legs as he went into their wardrobe and pulled out some of her clothes, the only way he would sleep now was if he could trick himself into believing his girl was alive and healthy next to him, curling into his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck. So he could feel her heart as it beat alongside his, both knowing that tomorrow they would still have each other, that they wouldn't be alone.

Tony lay on his king sized bed, alone. The bed was much too big for one person, and to be fair Tony couldn't even qualify as a full person now half of him was gone. He pulled Peppers clothes around him and shut his eyes tight, wishing and hoping and fucking praying that his angel was safe and happy and watching him.

Do you remember in the first paragraph it said that Pepper was the reason Tony woke up in the morning? Yes? But she's not there anymore…

Virginia Potts: 

Date/Time of Death: Sunday 25th February 2013 5:04pm

Cause of Death: Several fatal injuries from car accident

Antony Stark: 

Date/Time of Death: Sunday 25th February 2013 10:12pm

Cause of Death: Broken Heart

**Wow now that was intense, please review once again if you have any requests for anything you would like me to write let me know (you might be surprised to know but I can actually do happy writing :D) **__


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